ICF Core Competencies: Preparation and Assistance

ICF defines the embodiment of a coaching mindset as developing and maintaining a mindset that is open, curious, flexible, and client-centered.

In the last issue, we covered the foundation of embodying a coaching mindset regarding self-awareness and intuition. In today’s article, we will cover:

7. Mentally and emotionally prepares for sessions

8. Seeks help from outside sources when necessary

For the coach to be fully present in the coaching session, they have to be mentally and emotionally prepared. ICF doesn’t prescribe a specific preparation method but expects the coach to do whatever is necessary to ensure that they can be in service to the client. Some coaches take a few minutes to meditate or clear their minds before each call to focus on working with the client. Other ways to prepare are to review previous client notes before the session and recall the client’s goals and progress. Consider what methods of working with the client might need to be revisited to strengthen the coaching agreement and engagement. One way of preparing for coaching sessions is to work with a coach supervisor. Coach SuperVision is a reflective practice where the coach brings client cases (confidentially) to supervision sessions to reflect on how they are a coach. Supervision can give coaches perspective on how they are working with their client and how they might need to shift to be more effective. The supervisor helps the coach look at their relationship with the client, their interventions with the client, and their own mental and emotional responses. They use the entire system’s perspective to help the coach understand how they might improve their work with that client and all clients. During supervision, the coach often finds that things that seem to be going awry in the engagement tie back to a gap in the coaching agreement with the client.